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Light versus Dark Magic
Both "light magic" and "dark magic" are terms with a complex, contentious, and highly politicized history. The explanation a light witch or wizard might provide for both terms would likely differ sharply from the explanation that might be given by a dark witch or wizard. This page aims to present an explanation of the topic that is simultaneously as clear as possible and sufficiently nuanced as to present the various points of view as fairly as possible. Light and Dark are labels used in several ways, often without a great deal of clarity regarding their definition. They can be descriptors of political views, labels describing types of magic, labels for different points of view regarding the very nature of magic, legal terms of art, delineations of socially acceptable or socially taboo uses of magic, or pejorative labels applied to a person with whom one disagrees in order to succinctly convey disapproval and moral judgement. Political terms The least contentious usage of the terms is as labels for political ideologies; both those who would call themselves "light" and those who would call themselves "dark" tend to agree on the basic meanings of the words as shorthand names for the two major voting blocs. Politically light individuals align themselves with what is more formally referred to as the Progressive Party, whereas politically dark individuals are aligned with what is more formally called the Traditionalist Party. The Progressive Party, informally known as the "light" in political terms, is led by Albus Dumbledore (or his appointed successor) in most Harry Potter universes and typically advocates for modernization of the wizarding world, increased collaboration and connections between the muggle and wizarding societies, and a reduction in the influence of magical traditions and spiritual practices that they consider outdated or prejudiced in favor of people with known magical heritage. The Traditionalist Party, informally known as the "dark" in political terms, advocates for increasing separation between the magical and muggle worlds, introducing policies to include muggleborns in the magical world from their first signs of accidental magic, embracing all forms of magic including both so-called dark and light arts, and preserving the cultural and spiritual traditions of the magical world. Leadership of the Traditionalist Party is less clear-cut than that of the Progressive Party. Most Traditionalists consider the reigning Dark Lord to be the true head of the party, but the Dark Lords from at least recent history have been viewed by significant portions of magical society and the Ministry as outlaws/insurrectionists and have generally been unable to openly exercise political power; open leadership of the Traditionalist Party has therefore typically been provided by the most politically and/or socially prominent member of the Dark sect, most commonly Lucius Malfoy or his proxy. Labels for categories of magic There is by now a long history of "light" and "dark" being used to divide magic into practices widely considered 'good'/socially acceptable (light) or those considered 'bad'/improper (dark). Types of magic commonly considered dark Examples of what would usually be labeled dark magic are: * Blood magic * most rituals, including for traditional holidays such as Yule and Samhain * Nature-based/'wild' magic * Spells and potions deemed particularly harmful or damaging (such as the "Unforgivable Curses") Arguments for or against labeling Light wizards consider such distinctions a matter of common sense, arguing that dark practices are evil, morally corrupt, or harmful to society. Dark wizards, on the other hand, claim that the labels are applied arbitrarily and that there is no reason to divide magic in such a way and ban entire categories of magical practices. Dark wizards point out that while light supporters often claim the dark arts are any harmful magic, it is entirely possible, and in some cases could be easier, to harm people using spells commonly taught as light arts. (A frequently-used example: if a levitation charm - a simple first year spell - can be used to incapacitate a troll, imagine what it could do to a person.) Different theories of magic It is widely accepted throughout both the light and dark sects that the roots of the disputed terms can be traced back to divisions arising from differing views on the basic question of what magic is. Each faction, however, maintains that theirs is the only credible viewpoint while the other side's approach is nonsensical and harmful to magical society. Dark magical theory The dark faction believes in a metaphysical/spiritual philosophy of magic, wherein being magical is a matter of identity and impacts every aspect of a magical entity's existence. Adherents to this worldview believe that: * magic is a particular type of energy with which only some beings have the capacity to interact, * magical energy is not native to our universe but rather originated from another dimension or plane of existence, and * magical energy is somewhat sentient in its own right and is all ultimately tied to the will and essence of a divine entity that is the source and personification of the primordial force that is magic. A key tenet of this philosophy is the belief that magic is a gift given by this Goddess to people whom She personally deems worthy of Her gift and chooses to bestow it upon. It is believed that Lady Magic reaches out to the Chosen before their birth and establishes a connection between Herself and the soul of the unborn magical child-to-be. Thus, dark mages believe that magic is an innate part of all magical entities' very being, and that magical sentient entities can - and should - tap into the universal web of Magic that runs through all magical living things for connection, guidance, and magnification of individual magical capabilities. Light magical theory The light faction takes a functional view of magic as an ability some people have to do things that others cannot and rejects the idea that there is anything further to question on a metaphysical level. Light magicals do not believe that there is a greater sentient force that is capital-M Magic. They argue that the ability to do magic or not is a phenomenon which should be accepted as it is and which should not invite speculation or exploration of possible causes. Since light magicals believe that magic is simply an ability or talent that some are born with and some are not, they do not see it as a particular basis for a cultural identity. Common criticisms of each theory Light magicals feel strongly that considering magical ability as a basis for community identity creates unnecessary division and prejudice, perpetuates outdated worldviews, and impedes human progress. Dark magicals believe that neglecting to consider the overall nature of magic, including spiritual and traditional aspects, leads to the decline of magical society, cultural erasure, and an overall weakening of magical knowledge and ability. They consider it profoundly disrespectful to deny that Magic is the source of magical ability and foolishly arrogant to act as though there is no greater meaning or purpose behind who does or does not end up with the ability to work with magic. Nature of light and dark magic A relatively solid rule of thumb is that light magic tends to be fairly orderly and structured, relying on logical properties and arithmancy calculations for spell creation and focusing on precision of casting, whereas dark magic tends to be more chaotic, raw, and connected to the "messier" side of human nature, such as emotion and intuition. Magical beings tend to find that their own magic has an inclination towards certain kinds magical practices, finding some styles more natural and easy to grasp than others. Individuals who are significantly better at or more comfortable with highly structured magical disciplines are said to have a light-aligned magical core, while those who find that their magic is inclined towards a wilder state and tends to feel constrained by too much structure are said to have a dark-aligned core. Individuals whose magic is relatively equally suited to both are considered to have a 'gray' core, which is comparatively rare. It is important to note that core alignment does not mean an individual with one alignment would be unable to work with other types of magic. Beyond these few basic widely-accepted facts, core theory is another highly controversial topic closely linked to heavily politicized social discourse. Category:Magical theory